Australia’s biggest Para-athletics team since Sydney 2000 is just days away from the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, with the contingent of 49 athletes featuring 24 debutants made possible by a historic boost in funding from the Australian Sports Commission ahead of Brisbane 2032.
The competition-time headlines may be dominated by Paralympic champions and world record holders like Vanessa Low and James Turner, but the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships is set to be remembered as the first step on the road to the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games for a rising group of names and a significant investment in the future from Australian Athletics.
The Australian Sports Commission’s increase in High Performance funding announced by Prime Minister The Hon Anthony Albanese and Minister for Sport, The Hon Anika Wells, in June last year has enabled Australian Athletics to expand the Para program to support the largest ever team to be selected for an overseas championships.
This expanded program has allowed athletes like the 14-year-old duo of Makayla Elcoate and Lexie Brown to earn their global debuts, with the team from every state and territory represented as the nation-wide talent search rolls on.
A Sunshine Coast sprinter and long jumper who competes with a lower limb impairment, Elcoate is relishing her first experience in the green and gold and already eyeing the Brisbane 2032 Games in her home state – where she will be just 21-years-old.
“It makes me a lot less nervous seeing all the athletes come in and it’s quite inspiring talking to them all, I’m very proud to be here. It’s exciting to look up to the older athletes and see what I can become in the future – people like Vanessa Low,” Elcoate said.
“Seeing the ways of all the other athletes and competing in a very high-level athletics competition makes Brisbane [2032] a lot more achievable and exciting. I’m looking forward to it and seeing what I can do.”
Complemented by the established stars and leaders of the Para-athletics scene, the team is a balance of both experience and energy, with three-time Paralympic champion Vanessa Low welcoming the investment which lands Athletics as one of the nation’s top-funded Paralympic and Olympic Sports.
“It’s so great that we have brought such a big team here. This is such a great opportunity for them to get a first taste of what it’s like to be an athlete on the big stage, – it’s exciting heading towards Brisbane [2032],” Low said.
“We now need to put in the seeds and these opportunities allow us to bring the youngsters along and get a really great team culture going, and make sure everyone is supported.”
Geared towards returning Australia to its status as a Paralympic powerhouse ahead of the home Brisbane 2032 Games, the transformative funding is a vote of confidence in the sport’s trajectory, with Australian Athletics General Manager – High Performance Andrew Faichney emphasising its importance in sustained success.
“The team size for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships is a testament to both the Para-athletics talent that exists within Australia and how we as a sport are resourced to support them on the road to Brisbane 2032 and beyond,” Faichney said.
“Australia has always had standout performers at the highest level of Para-athletics, but this Para uplift in investment from the federal government allows us to expand the pathway and create greater depth across the board.
“This has allowed us to nurture emerging prospects in a High Performance environment earlier than would have been possible without the Australian Sports Commission’s support.”
The team completed a one-week training camp in Brisbane in July where all athletes and personal coaches were funded to attend, and have spent the last week in Dubai for a final staging camp acclimatising to the heat and time zone ahead of competition in New Delhi.
After 51 athletes were officially selected for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, 49 will take to the field of play following the withdrawal of Paralympic medallists Michael Roeger and Rosemary Little.
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will be held in New Delhi, India from September 27 – October 5.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 25/09/2025
